Azlan once weighed more than just 70 kilograms—he carried years of insecurity, silence, and the scars of being overlooked. Most of his days were spent inside, lost in online games, avoiding the world that had never been kind to him. But one day, standing in front of the mirror, something shifted.
He stared at his reflection—the body he had neglected, the face he barely recognized. Tired. Unattractive. Invisible.
That was the moment he decided: *enough.*
He didn't make a grand announcement. He didn't tell anyone. He simply began.
Push-ups. Squats. Running for thirty minutes every day. Healthier food. Discipline.
At first, nothing felt different. But weeks passed, then months—and slowly, quietly, change came. His body grew lighter. Stronger. From 70 kg, he dropped to 64. Not yet his ideal, but far from where he started.
More importantly, something inside him was changing too.
---
When his older brother invited him to move to Black Sand City and promised to help him enter college, Azlan hesitated. A new place meant a new beginning—but also new risks. New people.
New chances to be hurt.
But he took it.
Because maybe… just maybe… this time would be different.
---
The first day of college arrived faster than he expected.
His heart raced as he stepped into the classroom. *No one here knows me,* he reminded himself. *No past. No labels.*
"Is this the first year?" Azlan asked nervously.
"Yeah," a friendly voice replied. "We're your classmates."
Azlan turned and saw two guys smiling at him.
"I'm Ray," one said.
"And I'm Buck," the other added.
"Azlan," he replied, shaking their hands.
For the first time in a long while, it felt… easy.
---
Days passed.
Azlan kept training in secret every night, pushing himself when no one was watching. At school, he forced himself to act confident—even when his chest tightened with fear.
Then came the first set of academic tasks.
He expected to struggle.
But when the results came back, he froze.
He scored high.
Higher than he ever had before.
Ray and Buck barely passed, but they looked at him with admiration.
"Bro… you're actually smart," Ray said.
Azlan didn't know what to say.
Because deep inside, he realized something painful:
*He was always capable.*
He just never believed it.
---
The real test came when they were asked to present in front of the class.
Azlan watched others go first—some confident, some trembling. His turn came, and his hands felt cold.
*If I fail…*
*If I mess up…*
*They'll laugh again.*
But this time, he didn't run.
He stood.
Spoke.
Delivered everything he could.
When he finished, the room erupted in applause.
Azlan blinked, stunned.
For the first time in his life, people weren't laughing *at* him.
They were clapping *for* him.
---
Soon, his name began to spread across the class.
Not as the quiet, awkward guy.
But as someone… different.
Someone capable.
During a major debate event, a top student named Blad called him forward.
"You're not just a regular student," Blad said. "Join us."
Their team was losing badly. Pressure filled the room.
Then it was Azlan's turn.
He listened carefully. Thought deeply.
And when he finally spoke—
The room fell silent.
Every word he delivered was clear, confident, powerful.
By the time he finished, the silence broke into thunderous applause.
They won.
Because of him.
---
That night, Azlan couldn't sleep.
He stared at the ceiling, replaying everything.
The mirror.
The pain.
The effort.
The fear.
The change.
Tears quietly formed in his eyes.
*Hard work… really paid off.*
---
From that moment on, everything shifted.
Groupmates wanted him. Classmates respected him. Even the top student, Wuz—a disciplined and admired leader—acknowledged him with silent respect.
Ray and Buck still couldn't believe it.
"Bro… you were hiding all this?" Buck laughed.
Azlan just smiled.
Because the truth was—
He wasn't hiding anything.
He was just… finally becoming who he was always meant to be.
---
And for the first time in his life,
Azlan wasn't trying to escape himself anymore.
He was proud of who he was becoming.
"Bro… you're so different from us."
Ray laughed as he threw an arm around Azlan's shoulder. Buck nodded in agreement, grinning wide.
"Yeah, man. You're on another level."
Azlan only smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Nah… small things."
But deep inside, he knew—nothing about his journey was small.
---
The day of the exams arrived, heavy with tension.
The classroom felt suffocating. Papers rustled. Chairs creaked. Nervous whispers filled the air.
Everyone was anxious.
Everyone—except Azlan.
He sat calmly, a faint smile on his lips. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk, not out of fear—but focus.
*This is nothing,* he told himself.
When the exam papers were handed out, he moved with precision. Each answer came smoothly, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. No panic. No hesitation.
Just clarity.
---
Days later, the results were announced.
The classroom buzzed with anticipation.
"Lea—30."
Applause.
"Fecil—15."
A few murmurs.
"Glen—40."
Cheers.
Then came his friends.
"Buck—23."
"Ray—20."
They laughed awkwardly, scratching their heads.
"Blad—39."
"Wuz—48."
The room erupted.
"As expected from the top one!" someone shouted.
Then—
A pause.
The teacher adjusted her glasses.
"Azlan… 49."
Silence.
Then thunderous applause.
Only one mistake.
Azlan blinked for a moment, surprised—but quickly masked it with a calm expression. He leaned back, crossing his arms slightly, a subtle smirk forming on his lips.
Ray grabbed him.
"BROOO! That's insane!"
Buck shook his head. "You're not human anymore."
Azlan shrugged. "Told you… small things."
But inside—
His heart was racing.
---
That day marked something new.
People started to gather around him more often.
Mary, a friend of Ray, moved her seat closer. Soon, two more joined—Fecil and Queen.
Queen was the first to speak to him directly.
"You're interesting," she said, smiling confidently.
Azlan raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Fecil laughed softly, while Mary leaned in, clearly curious.
Before he realized it, they had become a group.
---
After school, the six of them went out together.
They found themselves by the sea, sitting on the sand as waves crashed rhythmically in the distance. The salty breeze carried laughter and quiet conversations.
For Azlan, it felt unreal.
There was a time when he would've been alone.
Ignored.
Now… he was here.
Included.
Wanted.
---
But something else began to shift.
The girls—Queen, Fecil, and Mary—weren't just friendly.
They were interested.
And not just a little.
---
One afternoon, Queen decided to make her move.
She leaned closer to Azlan during class, her voice soft.
"You know… you don't act like other guys."
Before Azlan could respond, Fecil interrupted.
"Hey, Azlan, are you free later?"
Mary added quickly, "We were thinking of going out."
Azlan blinked.
Something felt… off.
---
After school, the three girls invited him to a coffee shop.
Only him.
When he arrived and realized he was the only guy there—
His mind froze.
*Wait… what?*
He sat down awkwardly, his usual confidence suddenly nowhere to be found. His hands felt stiff, his thoughts scattered.
Three girls.
All focused on him.
Talking. Smiling. Laughing.
Azlan's face heated up.
*This… this never happened before.*
Back then, he was invisible.
A background character in everyone else's story.
Now—
He didn't even know how to act.
---
When he finally got home, he closed the door behind him and leaned against it, exhaling deeply.
"What… just happened?"
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing around his room.
Part of him felt proud.
Another part—
Completely overwhelmed.
---
From that day on, Azlan learned something new.
Not about strength.
Not about intelligence.
But about boundaries.
When the girls invited him again, he smiled and said,
"Sorry… I'm busy at home."
It wasn't entirely true.
But it wasn't entirely a lie either.
Because the truth was—
He wasn't ready.
Not yet.
---
That night, as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a small smile formed on his lips.
Life had changed.
So much.
But he was still learning how to live it.
And this time—
He wasn't rushing.
He was growing.
At his own pace.